The film is directed by Scott Waugh, and is the fourth installment of the superhit franchise, with the screenplay by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams. It is a star-studded sequel with names like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Curtis Jackson or 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Iko Uwais, and more added to the mix. The filmmakers have always wanted to get Jackie Chan on board for the franchise, but, they have not been successful yet.

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The Expendables team
However, the upcoming film has a special connection with stunt master and martial arts legend Jackie Chan. The film producers dropped a hint about the connection in their recent interview.

Jackie Chan connection in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables 4

The Expendables 4 is one of the most awaited films of the year, which promises full-on entertainment and action for the viewers. The franchise has entertained the audience for more than 14 years, and the filmmaker has no plans to end it soon.

Film producers Kevin King-Templeton and Les Weldon revealed in a conversation with Daily Express about the thrilling action scenes in the film.

The action star, Sylvester Stallone, turned 77 this year, hence, there had to be some modifications in the stunts and action scenes. The young blood and newcomers of the franchise like Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and 50 Cent, will be taking the heavy load of the fights.

Jackie Chan

Talking about the fight technique in the upcoming film, producer Kevin King-Templeton revealed about using Jackie Chan‘s stunt team for martial arts scenes. He further said in the interview,
“You have to change a little because the cast is getting older. We evolved a little bit. We used the Jackie Chan stunt team so there’s definitely a lot of that Asian martial arts influence.”
The Expendables filmmaker has been trying to cast Jackie Chan in the franchise for years, but he refused the $789M franchise. The action star said he would not have minded if it was a one-on-one fight with Stallone. But, the inclusion of a long list of stars, like Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, made him back out of the franchise.

The Expendables 4 producers revealed the cast does its own stunts

The cast of The Expendables 4 comprises numerous actors who are in their 60s’ and 70s’. While it would be unimaginable for others to do action at this age, the actors like Sylvester Stallone, consider aging as a minor adjustment. These actors are not like an average person in their 70s, as they work out and stay fit.

Kevin King-Templeton said,
“They are these action guys who stay pretty fit. They’re all in much better shape than I am even if they’re older than I am! I think it’s just that’s who they are. They don’t just let themselves go so when a movie like this comes up they’re ready. A lot of them do their own stunts and their own fighting.”

Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables 4
King-Templeton also added,
“Even Jason does a lot of his own stuff. They all pride themselves on it. They take care of themselves because they know they’ve got a job to do. They can’t just show up with the script. They have to train. So when people see it, a lot have done their own stuff.”
The producer also noted there have not been any massive injuries on set, apart from minor strains and aches.

In a conversation about the future of the franchise, Kevin King-Templeton shared that the future installments depend on the fans. He said,
“Nothing is off the table. We don’t know. It’s all about the fans.”

The Expendables 4 will hit cinemas on September 22, 2023.